Near Record-Setting Season for C-130 Tankers

C-130 National Guard tankers, including those from Wyoming, have now dropped more than 2-million gallons of fire retardant this fire season. Each of the tankers is loaded with special firefighting equipment called a Modular Airborne FireFighting System, or MAFFS, unit.

The 153rd Airlift Wing from the Wyoming Guard still has tankers fighting fires in Idaho.

The MAFFS units were first activated on June 25th. So far, the 2012 amount of fire retardant dropped by the units, is third only to the years 1994 and 2000.

Despite the accomplishments, the summer was also marred by the crash of a C-130 tanker from North Carolina on July 1st. Four crew members were killed and two others were injured when that plane went down fighting a fire in south dakota.